


Even If We're Miles Apart

by Random_Nerd3



Series: JatP Whumptober 2020 [14]
Category: High School Musical (Movies), Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex Has Anxiety (Julie and The Phantoms), And Will Fight Caleb For Hurting Their Favorite Child, Caleb Covington Being His Bastard Self, Carrie Is Sharpay's daughter, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Nick - centric (Julie and the Phantoms), Nick And Carrie Are Cousins, Nick Deserves Better, Nick Gets Whumped, Nick Is Ryan And Chad's Iconic Gay Son, Nick is confused, Nick needs a Hug, Post-Episode: s01e09 Stand Tall, Pre-Poly, Protective Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Sassy!Nick (Julie and The Phantoms), The Wildcats Are Nick's Family, Whumptober 2020, i don't make the rules, posession, she deserves better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27025312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Nerd3/pseuds/Random_Nerd3
Summary: Caleb looked behind Nick at the door when it sounded like someone walked past it from inside the house. “Now, as nice as getting acquainted with you has been mister Nick Danforth-Evans, I’m on a tight schedule. See, I’m not talking to you because your father said no to my deal…” Nick’s scream got caught in his throat as Caleb suddenly turned into a cloud of scary-looking purple smoke. When Nick opened his mouth to scream, Caleb’s presence settled into his mind and Nick couldn’t do anything to fight against him."I'm here because a mutual friend of ours said no to my deal."
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Caleb Covington & Nick (Julie and The Phantoms), Chad Danforth/Ryan Evans, Everyone & Everyone, Julie Molina & Nick, Nick Danforth - Evans & Chad Danforth, Nick Danforth - Evans & Ryan Evans, Nick/Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Nick/Reggie/Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, OT3 - Relationship, The Danforth-Evans-Mackenzie Family
Series: JatP Whumptober 2020 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949821
Comments: 17
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> Welcome back to another episode of me having absolutely zero self control. This entire fic is based off the beautiful Nick Danforth-Evans AU that was born on Tumblr. I tried to find the og account who first posted about it to credit them but couldn't find it cause so many people jumped on this AU. (Not that I can blame them, it's an absolute fucking masterpiece.) So if you do know who started the Nick Danforth-Evans Family lmk in the comments and I'll credit them, sounds good? Sounds good.
> 
> This fic will never have a set updating schedule. Chapters will get longer as I continue to update, this first chapter is for set up and is meant to act as a tester. I'll probably edit and extend the first chapter before I publish the second one.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~R

_Then…_

_Nick had grown up in the foster care system, which was as unforgiving as high school. He was constantly moved between houses because none of the parents wanted to keep him long enough for him to have a stable home environment. He watched as his friends got picked over him to live in a happy family… while the only people who seemed remotely capable of loving him only used him for the paycheck at the end of his test. By the time he was ten he learned life was hard and unforgiving, that he’d always be alone… and by the end of the day new parents who filtered in and out of the shelter would be gravitated towards the younger kids. The cute five year olds who liked race cars and princesses, not him, who’s only interest was learning how to shred on the guitar._

_“Turn down the music!” His case worker, a middle-aged hag named Olga Halvitch, shouted through his locked door. She tried to turn the doorknob, but Nick learned to lock it after the other kids used to break into his room to trash it at night. Nick just rolled his eyes and kept the rock music blasting at his chosen volume. At this point, the only reason Olga checked on him was if one of the other kids got adopted, or if she wanted him to wrangle the kids together for new parents. “Hey!” Ogla shouted, banging on the door, “I’ve got the key you little brat!” As promised, he heard the sound of her shoving the room key into the lock._

_“Go away!” Nick called out, he was thirteen. He just had to wait five years, then he’d be able to escape the hell he grew up in and never look back. Maybe he’d get lucky and be able to join up with an already existing band, or even start his own._

_“Nicholas! I thought I told you to pick up, you have a meeting!” Olga exclaimed when she walked into the threshold and was met by the sight of his unmade bed and songbooks thrown on the floor. Nick just turned on his bed, facing the wall instead of her two buck teeth and the wart on her nose._

_“Tell the others I’m done playing along with their tricks,” Nick mumbled as AC/DC started playing. “Five more years and I’m out of here Olga, this place’ll be a distant memory.” Someone cleared their throat, and a man Nick had never met before spoke up._

_“We’ll be fine Ms. Halvitch. Trust me, Chad’s room was way worse than this back in high school.” Ogla let out a sound of disgust, throwing a few of Nick’s dirty shirts onto his bed._

_“I told you he was problematic Mr. Evans, perhaps one of the younger -” Mr. Evans cut her off instantly,_

_“There’s no need. Ms. Halvitch, thank you for showing us to Nicholas’s room.” Nick sat up and was shocked at the sight of the two men standing awkwardly just outside of his doorway. While one was dressed in a suit, tailored to near-perfection, topped with the ugliest fedora Nick had ever seen, the other went for a more casual look. The afro-hair dude was wearing jeans and a red hoodie with some sort of high school logo on it._

_“Don’t screw this up. They’re the first parents who asked for an older kid in months, it’s your last chance,” Olga hissed. She turned around and left Nick’s room, heels clacking against the wood floor. Nick scampered across his floor to turn down the volume on the music._

_“Hi,” he said, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. “Uh.. come in I guess, you can sit anywhere.” Nick gesturing nonchalantly around his room as he stacked his songbooks unceremoniously on his desk. The adults sat next to each other on Nick’s bed, too close for them to be sitting if they were just friends. A few minutes passed and no one said anything, so Nick took to anxiously bouncing his knee up and down, still waiting for someone to tell him it was all a prank._

_“It’s nice to meet you,” the suit-dude said holding out his hand. “My name’s Ryan, this is my husband Chad. You’re Nicholas, right?”_

_“Nick,” he answered, correcting him. Nick reached forward and shook Ryan’s hand. Nick glanced between the two adults, still unsure of why they were taking to him. Chad shifted awkwardly and reached behind him, pulling out a few loose pages Nick had written lyrics on. Ryan glanced at the pages and his eyes widened as he read it._

_“You like songwriting?” Ryan asked._

_“Songwriting is for girls,” Nick countered, using the line the other kids often bullied him with. Ryan laughed, but it didn’t sound like he was laughing at Nick. Chad smirked,_

_“You ever heard of Troy Bolton?” Nick nodded, he wasn’t exactly the biggest basketball fan, but it was almost impossible to not know of the legendary player. “Well what if I told you when he was in high school he was in the spring musical?” Nick almost laughed at Chad, the theory was too good to be true. To his surprise though, Chad looked dead serious, Ryan did too._

_“Nick, if you want to write music then nothing can stop you.” Ryan said softly, handing the music sheet to Nick. With a common interest discovered, Nick started to find out he had more similarities to Ryan and Chad than he originally thought. When their two hour meeting session was up, Nick felt something strange tighten in his chest. Something he hadn’t let himself feel since his last family two years ago… he felt a glimmer of hope._

_Current Day..._

Nick knew he lost the second Julie’s guitarist appeared on the Orpheum stage. He took his cue late, but when his hologram focused, Julie smiled at him as though he hung the sun and the moon in the sky. It wasn’t a question, there wasn’t a doubt in Nick’s mind that Julie didn’t love the guy she was singing to, and he was happy for her. He was happy that Julie finally found someone who was able to make her smile again, make her laugh again like she did before her mom died. If he was being completely honest with himself, Nick didn’t want to know what he’d do if one of his dads died, they were the most important people in his life… He would probably shut down just like Julie did.

Nick was happy for his girl-next-door, even though he was kicking himself for not noticing her crush on him sooner. If he wasn’t so wrapped up in the recent round of Dirty Candy drama he would have asked Julie out in a heartbeat. Instead, he ended up realizing his feelings for her a year too late, and he lost her to a guy from Sweden. Sure, maybe there was a small tiny annoying part of his brain who thought Luke was cute… but just because his dads were the two gayest men in Los Fleiz doesn’t mean he has to be gay too.

So sue him if he decided to buy Julie a bouquet of congratulations flowers the morning following her big debut. Uncle Troy had warned him it was a bad idea, which would be a fair point if his Uncle Troy hadn’t wooed Aunt Gabriella by building a not-so-top-secret garden on the roof of East High. (Nick had heard the story enough times to be able to recite it forwards and backwards). He just wanted to tell Julie he was proud of her for overcoming her stage fright, and that he still wanted to be friends with her if she was comfortable with it.

HIs car rolled to a stop as he parked on the street in front of her house. “Fuck, this is stupid.” Nick muttered as he looked at the bouquet of flowers resting on the passenger seat. Julie was amazing, she was definitely going to make it in the music business… “Okay,” Nick said, psyching himself up. “It’s just a bouquet of flowers. You can do this, you got this.” His fingers clenched around the bouquet, the paper crinkling under the pressure. He curbed the slight feeling of jealousy he felt for the guitarist, and pushed the car door open.

The walk up to the front door was more daunting than he expected. He half-dragged his feet, heels sliding against the black paved driveway. Carrie told him it was a bad idea, that he’d be leading Julie on more than reaffirming their friendship. Nick didn’t care though, he just wanted to be friends with Julie. “Hi Julie,” Nick stuttered, regretting not rehearsing what he was going to say earlier. “Uh… I saw you guys perform at the Orpheum and -” Nick shivered as a sudden chill cut through the air even though the sun was shining brightly overhead. The hairs on the back of his neck spiked, like they were warning him of something.

“The broken hearted teenager fighting for his girl…” Someone said behind him, almost monotone to the point of sounding bored. “How adorable.” Nick turned around to see a man dressed in the most expensive looking suit he’d ever seen in his life. Honestly, if Aunt Sharpay had a say in it she’d probably have his dad work the costume into this summer’s Star Dazzle Award routine. “Your name is Nicholas, correct? Julie’s ex?” The man asked, with a grin more devious than the Cheshire Cat’s. Something about his voice drew Nick in, like a spell had been cast, wrapping around his mind like honey. Nick didn’t fight against the spell, answering with a nod.

“I’m Nick, Julie’s friend,” he said, making it clear he and Julie weren’t exes… that they were never going to be exes. No matter how much he wanted to go out with her now. They weren’t meant to be together, Julie and Luke were and Nick wasn’t about to get in the way of fate. The man tsked as he stalked forward, somehow drawing the shadows closer to him, curving to a point of distortion. A sense of danger dawned on Nick and he tried to back up, to get away from whoever the hell this asshole thought he was. He wasn’t able to get far though, his back thudding against Molina's front door as he watched the stranger inch closer to him.

“My name is Caleb Covington,” the man said, introducing himself with an over-dramatic bow. _I should get him Ms. Darbus’s phone number,_ Nick thought humorlessly, _they’d probably have a blast planning East High’s next musical._ The uneasy feeling continued to inch it’s way up Nick’s spine and suddenly he wanted to be anywhere but having a direct conversation with Caleb Covington. Fear etched it’s way into Nick’s mind, filling out the cracks of doubt and bringing out his anxieties and worries. His fear about not living up to his dad’s expectations, his fears of always being alone, of never being enough by just being him. All he wanted to do was push past Caleb and sprint to his car, put it in drive and speed as fast as he could away from the Molina’s and never visit them again. To Nick’s horror he couldn’t move his feet… at all. It was like some unseen force was keeping them in place, like he was a fly stuck in Caleb’s trap. He tried to bury the feeling of panic spiraling at the pit of his stomach, push it aside as he focused on whatever Caleb was trying to do.

“Uh, it was nice to meet you Mr. Covington, sir…” he said, trailing off at the end. Caleb met Nick’s eyes with a wicked looking smile. He reached out his hand, but Nick kept his hands shoved in the pockets of his pop’s old basketball sweatshirt. After realizing Nick wasn’t going to shake his hand Caleb pulled it back.

“I’m glad to finally be acquainted with you,” Caleb said with a glint in his eyes. “I’m a long time friend of your father, he never mentioned me?” Nick frowned, he met most of his dad’s business partners personally. Ryan Evans-Danforth had never signed any sort of contract with a man named Caleb Covington, Nick knew that much for sure. Suspicion started to replace Nick’s anxiety as he asked himself two very important questions, who the hell was this guy, and, what the hell did he want with me. Nick settled for shaking his head,

“No, dad never said anything about you to me.” Caleb sighed like he expected it to happen.

“I suppose since he declined my very, very impressive offer it makes sense,” he said with a tsk. Nick felt something inside him relax, as if since Caleb knew his dad, he felt as though he could trust him. Caleb looked behind Nick at the door when it sounded like someone walked past it from inside the house. “Now, as nice as getting acquainted with you has been mister Nick Danforth-Evans, I’m on a tight schedule. See, I’m not talking to you because your father said no to my deal…” Nick’s scream got caught in his throat as Caleb suddenly turned into a cloud of scary-looking purple smoke. When Nick opened his mouth to scream, Caleb’s presence settled into his mind and Nick couldn’t do anything to fight against him. Nick no longer had control of his own body, like something else had taken it over, using it as a puppet. When Caleb looked at them in the reflection of the glass in the Molina’s door he flicked Nick’s hair forward. “I’m here because Julie Molina said no to my deal,” Caleb said using Nick’s voice.

Nick could only watch from the backseat as his finger pressed the doorbell. Julie opened the door not a few seconds later, looking slightly confused at seeing Nick there. Nick tried to fight against the chains Caleb had him trapped in, he tried to warn her, to warn Julie she wasn’t talking to him… but Caleb’s control was too strong… and Nick could only watch as Julie accepted the bouquet of flowers and invite Caleb into her house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chad and Ryan realize Nick has been missing all week.
> 
> Despite being captured by Caleb, Nick refuses to loose faith in his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> So uh, here's another chapter? I wasn't planning on updating back to back but it's done so here we are, lmao. You guys finally get a better look at Nick's past, and just what Caleb's been up to.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~R

_**Current Day...** _

When Nick didn’t return home after his quest to rekindle his friendship with Julie, Ryan was starting to get frantic. Chad said he was being overbearing, and that half the time when he and Troy went out during high school they didn’t go back home until three am the next morning, but they both knew Nick was the exact opposite of what Chad was like in high school. “I know you’re worried,” Chad said as he flopped onto their family room couch. “Just call him Ry, he always picks up.” Ryan ran a hand through his hair as he let Chad pull him onto the couch next to him.

“You think so?” Ryan asked, relaxing into Chad’s arms. Chad reached into Ryan’s sweatshirt pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Positive, he knows he’s supposed to answer whenever we call them.” Chad said as he flicked through ESPN, settling on a run of highlight reel for basketball games they’ve already watched. Ryan sighed then turned on his phone and took Chad’s advice. He scrolled through his contacts and clicked on Nick’s, hoping his son was going to answer.

_One ring…_

_Two rings…_

_Three rings…_

_“Hi! It’s Nick Danforth-Evans! - Carrie turned down the music! I don’t care if Dirty Candy is practicing. I can hear you in my room! - sorry about that. Anyways, you know the drill, leave your name and a message, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! - Carrie turn the music down otherwise I’ll go outside and shut off the circuit breaker myself!”_ Ryan was instantly so much more worried than he originally was. Nick always, _always_ picked up when family called. The answering machine beeped and Ryan said,

“If you get this please call me or your pops ASAP, you hear me? I’m not joking Nicholas, you’ve been missing for ten hours. Call us!” The answering machine cut him off before he could say anything else. Frustrated, Ryan stood up and started pacing around the family room. Chad frowned,

“He didn’t answer?” Chad asked, now a lot more alert than he was before. Ryan was impressed by the fact that he actually shut off the basketball highlight reels. Ryan nodded, starting to quickly feel like he was a nervous wreck, and horrible father. “Calm down Wildcat, if anyone knows where he is Carrie does.” Ryan nodded then watched as Chad called Carrie, asking to see if she knew where Nick was. The frown on his husband’s face was all Ryan needed to know, Carrie hadn’t seen Nick since Julie performed at the Orpheum. Ryan scrolled through the Js of his contact list and landed on Julie’s number. Hopefully Nick was still at her house, or at least told her where he wanted to go next.

_“Mr. Evans, it’s nice to hear from you. Can I help you with something?”_ Julie asked, sounding slightly confused. Ryan ran a hand through his hair as he switched the direction of his pacing.

“Is Nick still at your place?” Ryan asked, voice rushed to the point of hyperventilation.

_“He left a few hours ago, the flowers were beautiful,_ ” Julie said, and through his panic Ryan could hear the smile in her voice. Chad crossed the room in a few quick sides, wrapping his strong arms around Ryan’s slender figure. _“Mr. Evans, is everything okay?”_ Julie asked, full of concern. Ryan nodded shakily, but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Chad gently took the phone from Ryan’s clenched hand. He started to rub calming circles against Ryan’s back.

“Julie, It’s Danforth,” Chad said, his voice was leveled. It was calming, something for Ryan to focus on. “Nick didn’t come home last night, he probably stayed over at Carrie’s. Have a good day!” He said before hanging up the phone and turning his attention to Ryan, who was still panicking.

“Chad I -” Ryan choked out, grasping at his throat. Chad shushed him and pulled him close, sitting on the floor with him.

“It’s okay,” Chad said as he talked him through the panic attack. “Nick’s going to be fine, alright? We’ll call the others, Sharpay, Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, _everyone_. You know they want Nick to be home safe as much as we do.” Ryan managed to stop shaking, because he couldn’t argue with Chad’s logic. Everyone loved Nick nearly as much as they did, thought of him as family even though he and Chad had adopted him when he was thirteen. When his breathing finally slowed down enough to be bearable Ryan heaved a sigh as Chad pulled him close.

“I’m just scared,” Ryan said quietly, just above a whisper. “What if something bad’s happened to him? We wouldn’t find out until it’s too late.” Chad sighed as he leaned forward and planted a kiss at the top of Ryan’s head. Reaching up, Chad softly cupped Ryan’s cheek as they rested their foreheads against the other. 

“We’ll find him,” Chad promised, tightly knitting their left hands together. Ryan’s tears rolled down his cheeks as he cried into Chad’s shoulder.

“How do you know?” Ryan asked, voice cracking. Chad let out a soft chuckle, the sound vibrating in his chest.

“We’re Wildcats aren’t we? If we work together as a team we can get anything done,” Chad said. Ryan’s tears dried on Chad’s shoulder, leaving a dried water ring in its place. A wobbly smile stretched across Ryan’s face,

“Where was that optimism when I was trying to teach you the choreography for our wedding dance?” He asked, nuzzling into the nape of Chad's neck. Chad laughed, the sound warming Ryan’s heart. They both sat on their family room floor, huddled together hoping, praying that their son will return home, safe and alive.

  
  


**_Then…_ **

_Nick’s initial adjustment to the Danforth-Evans household was rough at first. Chad and Ryan were a breath of fresh air compared to the other families he stayed with in the past. During the car ride from the shelter to their house Nick learned Ryan was actually a critically acclaimed Broadway choreographer, but he was taking the season off so they could help Chad move their stuff into the new beachside house They used to live in Utah, but when Ryan’s sister, Sharpay, moved to LA to get into film acting they decided they could use a fresh start and moved out with her. “She’s a bit eccentric,” Ryan admitted as they pulled into the long driveway winding up to the biggest house Nick had ever seen in his entire life. “But you learn to love her eventually. She’s actually got a daughter around your age, Carrie. Her boyfriend left her high and dry after they found out when she was pregnant. Sucks for him that her family is made up of some of the most influential people in the music business,” Ryan said with a chuckle._

_“Wow um…,” Nick said, unsure of what to say. He glanced out the window and his jaw dropped when the car turned and they could finally see the house-like-mansion. Chad turned around from the passenger seat with a grin stretched across the face._

_“You like it?” Chad asked as Ryan pulled up to the front of the house. They had a gate. What kind of people had a_ gate _at the front of their driveway? Nick pinched himself to make sure he was actually in the car with Chad and Ryan Danforth-Evans, and that it wasn’t just a dream. Nick would’ve been able to fit his room into their garage eight times over._

_“I never knew Broadway paid this well,” Nick said, voice echoing through the garage as he climbed out of the car. Ryan laughed,_

_“You’d be surprised by how much money you can make when you come up with an eight-count combo for a thirty second song.” Chad reached for Nick’s duffle, but he slung it over his shoulder. Nick’s entire life was in the bag, he knew he could trust Chad and Ryan… they just weren’t_ there _yet. Chad recovered his hurt expression quickly, pulling Ryan in for a quick kiss. The family room was bigger than the last house Nick stayed at combined with the whole shelter in it._

_“Woah, this place is_ sick _,” Nick said as he took in the modest-looking furniture and granite covered counters in the kitchen. Just as it looked like he was supposed to say something else, a phone rang out blasting some poppy showtune Nick wouldn’t get caught dead listening to. Ryan let out an impressive-sounding strand of cuss words._

_“Sorry Nick, I told them I’d be taking the next few months off,” Ryan said, his apology written across his face. Turning to his husband Ryan asked, “Chad, can you show him to the bedrooms? I’ll be up in a few seconds.” Chad nodded then placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder, who on instinct ducked out of the way. Nick didn’t miss the concerned look that Ryan and Chad exchanged with each other._

_“It’s nothing,” Nick said, shaking off Chad’s concern as they walked up to the second floor. “You just surprised me ‘s all.” Chad still didn’t look like he quite believed him, but let the matter slide as he opened the door to Nick’s bedroom._

_Nick took in the decorations they already had in the rooms. His walls were painted red, and there were a few guitars hanging on one of the walls. Posters from classic rock bands were hung up, plastered like wallpaper above his bed. A dresser was shoved to the side, and a desk with a stack of blank sheet music resting on it was placed in front of a large window overlooking the beach. “If you don’t like it -” Chad started, before Nick could cut him off._

_“I love it,” Nick said as he tossed his duffle bag onto the king-sized bed. Chad breathed a sigh of relief,_

_“That’s good. The school I coach at, it’s the local school for the district but there’s this awesome music program. You said you wanted to play guitar again a few weeks ago… we figured you might want to think about auditioning.” Nick was suddenly eternally grateful that Chad and Ryan wanted to adopt an older kid, that they were giving him a chance when no one else wanted to._

_“Thank you,” Nick said, wrapping his arms around Chad’s waist. Chad seemed unsure of what to do at first, but eventually hugged Nick back._

_“Of course kid,” Chad said as Nick cried into his sweatshirt. “You’re our son, no matter what anyone else says.” Nick broke the hug first, wiping his eyes off on the collar of his t-shirt. Maybe things weren’t perfect just yet, maybe he’ll still have setbacks and life will keep trying to beat him down… but at least now he wouldn’t have to do it alone._

**_Current Day…_ **

The kid was getting on Caleb’s nerves. Nick was supposed to be a puppet, a shell of who he once was… if anything possessing Nick just seemed to make him fight against his control better. “Nicky,” Caleb sing song-ed when he slowly started to wake up. “You’re much more of a pain in my side then I thought you would be.” Caleb leaned against his office desk as Nick slowly blinked awake, tied to a chair.

“You’ll regret kidnapping me,” the poor boy said as he struggled against the ropes. Caleb smirked,

“And why’s that? You think Julie cares enough about you that she’ll trade her boy band for you? Ha! She doesn’t even know the difference between you and me, that should tell you something about you!” To his surprise though, Nick didn’t look discouraged. His eyes glinted with the annoying sparkle those boys did when they broke out of his spell.

“I’m not talking about Julie, Covington,” Nick said, a grin stretching across his face. Caleb narrowed his eyes and stalked closer to the boy.

“Then who in the world are you talking about, Nicholas? Who cares enough about you to actively start searching for you while I’ve spent the past week posing for you in class?” He asked, wondering what he missed. Caleb had covered his tracks, showing up at the school, posing as Nick. Sabotaging Julie and The Phantoms, making Luke jealous and flirting with their lead singer. Just the other day he had overheard Luke arguing with Julie about some new song they were working on. Nick’s smile didn’t drop as Caleb darkened his eyes, flashing them purple in anger.

“You forgot one very, _very_ , factor in your whole evil plan. You forgot about my _family_ ,” Nick said, as though Caleb wasn’t the most powerful ghost on the Hollywood strip. As if the poor boy thought Caleb was afraid of Ryan Evans, one of the only lifers who denied his offer to party for eternity… not that Nick knew that in the first place. Caleb growled then possessed Nick again, taking over as puppeteer, ready to wreak some havoc among Julie’s friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me on Tumblr: @Random-Nerd-3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie and The Wildcats unite and try and figure out what's behind Nick's erratic behavior.
> 
> Ryan meets Caleb Covington while on vacation visiting his sister.
> 
> Nick breaks through Caleb's hold just long enough to hear Luke play a song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> Mama Mia
> 
> Here I Go Again,
> 
> Having No Self Control
> 
> My My, This Fic Has No End In Sight.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~R

Nick had been acting off for a week before Julie started to get really concerned about it. He kept pressuring her in ways the Nick  _ she _ knew wouldn’t dare to try. She used to like him a lot, and did want to stay friends with him after she brought her boys back to life with her magic hug… but Luke was right. Something was just… _ off _ about Nick lately, and they were all concerned about it. When Julie tried to talk to Carrie about it, to see if she was missing any information. Julie couldn’t help but think the constand Danforth - Evans familial drama was finally getting to Nick and he was just dealing with it in his own way. To her surprise though, when Julie asked Carrie snapped back with a, “ _ mind your own business Molina _ ,” and twisted back around in her desk to avoid any more questions. Julie exchanged a look with Flynn before leaning forward whispering,

“Carrie, if something’s going on with Nick you know you can trust us, right?” Julie watched as Carrie’s shoulderblades tensed. She didn’t turn around to face them though, trying to stay focused on their lecture for the day. During their last practice Julie and Luke had agreed to try to figure out what was going on with Nick. Their teacher cleared her throat and Julie ducked her head as he walked past them, trying to act like she was doing the readings.

“Stay in your lane Molina,” Carrie whispered, tilting her head back slightly. “It’s a family matter, we’re dealing with it.” Julie rolled her eyes, knowing the cop out answer when she saw it.

“Care -” Julie tried again, but the bell cut her off signaling the end of class. Carrie managed to weave between the students faster than Julie could keep up with and disappeared in the crowd near Coach Danforth’s office. Flynn sighed,

“Let’s face it, if Carrie doesn’t want us to know she’s not telling us. Maybe we’re just overreacting Jules, its not like Caleb possessed him or anything.” A sudden realization dawned on Julie and she widened her eyes as she whipped out her phone and pulled up her search engine.

“I’m  _ such  _ an idiot Flynn!” Julie exclaimed as she scrolled through articles about Ryan Evans. “Nick’s dad, Ryan Evans, look at this!” She said, turning the phone around so Flynn could read the articles.

“He’s a rich famous person, so what?” Flynn asked, not understanding where Julie was going with her newfound information. Julie rolled her eyes and took her phone back.

“Flynn, the guys said Caleb’s targets are usually famous rich people who have money to burn. What if Caleb offered Mr. Evans a membership?” Julie asked, and finally Flynn seemed to follow along with her. Shaking her head Flynn said,

“He would have a stamp, wouldn’t he? Besides, it’s not like he would have a reason to accept if Caleb offered him a membership in the first place.” The two lapsed into silence as the rest of the struggling students went to their classes, leaving Flynn and Julie alone in the hallway. Julie sighed,

“I’m telling you, something has just felt  _ off _ about Nick this week Flynn,” Julie insisted. Flynn was about to respond, but Coach Danforth’s office door banged open and both he and Carrie ran out of it looking more distraught than ever. Julie exchanged a look with Flynn then asked, “cover me in class? There’s no  _ way _ this is just family drama. Especially not when he started acting like this the literal day after the Orpheum.” Flynn nodded and they exchanged a complicated handshake.

“I’ve got you girl, go see if you can help them,” Flynn said. Julie hesitated, but Flynn shoved her in the direction Coach Danforth and Carrie ran. “Go!” Flynn exclaimed, waving her arms. Not needing any more encouragement, Julie rushed after Carrie and her uncle and managed to catch up with them in the parking lot.

“Coach Danforth!” Julie yelled as she approached their SUV. Luke appeared leaning against the door and Julie held back an eyeroll.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked as Julie climbed into the back seat of the car. She ignored him, focusing on the task at hand. Carrie screeched when she saw Julie in the backseat.

“What are you doing here?” Carrie demanded before Chad could say anything. “I told you, this is family business. And you Molina, aren’t family.” Chad glared at her,

“Carrie, be nice.” Chad said with an exasperated sigh. Now that she was close to him, Julie could see he looked tired. Like, going all week without sleep  _ exhausted. _ Whatever was happening with Nick was definitely taking a toll on his family, and the whole situation suddenly felt more real. Nick would never intentionally hurt anyone he cared about, something was going on.

“Chad, I’m not stupid. Something’s going on with Nick, right?” Julie asked, Carrie’s eyes looked down and Chad’s face dropped. “I know things between Nick and I are iffy right now, but I want to help,” Julie said. Carrie’s phone dinged and she said,

“Uncle Chad, everyone’s at the house. We need to get started as soon as possible.” Chad glanced at Julie, who was already buckled into her seat, not about to leave them.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Julie said, determined to help Nick’s family like they helped her when her mom passed away. Chad must’ve figured it wasn’t worth the fight, because he shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

“At least text your dad so he doesn’t think you got kidnapped,” Chad said as they turned up the street to the Danforth-Evans mansion. Julie nodded and did as he asked, trying to ignore the painfully awkward tension between her and Carrie. Things between them were getting better, but their relationship was still strained.

“So… uh,” Julie said as they parked in the street, the driveway was packed with enough cars to convince her a party was going on instead of an intervention. “What’s exactly been going on with Nick?” They walked through the front doors and Julie followed Carrie down the familiar path to the family room, where a large group of people had congregated. She only recognized about maybe half of them from Carrie’s birthday parties back when they were little.

“That’s what everyone’s here for,” Carrie said walking over by her mom, who was sitting on the couch.

“Wow,” Julie said, and everyone looked up with her. “I didn’t realize how big Nick’s family was before…” Mr. Evans approached them from the kitchen, he exchanged a kiss with Chad before turning to Julie.

“We all care about Nick, and love him. We aren’t going to let whatever’s happening to him keep happening,” Ryan said, watching as his family all nodded in agreement. Julie glanced to Carrie, who was surprisingly engaging in a conversation with her mom, instead of being on her phone.

“You noticed the change in his behavior too?” She asked as she accepted the spare chair Nick’s Uncle Troy pulled out from somewhere. Ryan nodded,

“Yes we have.” A look of guilt crossed Chad’s face,

“I should have noticed it sooner. I knew something was off during school, but I barely get to see him and -” Julie cut him off with a slight headshake,

“It’s not your fault Coach. Luke and I didn’t realize things were different until a few days ago.” When Willie popped into the studio the other day saying Caleb had been spending less time performing, and more time in his office, Julie started to theorize how Caleb could use Nick against her. Ryan shook his head,

“It’s no one’s fault except the person who did this to him… I have to make a quick call, Chad can you run introductions?” Chad nodded and started to introduce Julie to Nick’s ridiculously large family.

_ Then… _

_ Ryan had only been a professional choreographer for five years, but he was the youngest Broadway choreographer to date. Today was the first time he finally had the weekend free, and he had flown to LA to spend it with Sharpay. He hadn’t seen his sister in over a year. Call him crazy but he missed her eccentric personality. Sharpay was supposed to meet him on the strip and treat him to a night on the town, but she was running late. She called to apologize, her film shoot had gone on longer than originally scheduled. So, he was walking the strip alone until she was able to meet up with him. _

_ He passed by the same hotel six different times before realizing something seemed… off about it. Some of the people literally walked  _ through _ the doors, instead of opening them first. It seemed to be a hot-spot for people who had money to burn. “Excuse me sir,” a man said, suddenly appearing on the other side of the bench he was sitting on. “But you look like you’ve got a dream inside of you.” Something about the man made Ryan’s skin crawl, but he didn’t want to seem rude. Ryan turned to him and nodded, _

_ “Ryan Evans, nice to meet you.” A spark of electric energy shocked his hand and Ryan winced. The man smiled kindly, acting like he didn’t feel the shock. _

_ “Caleb Covington Mr. Evans, at your service,” he said, introducing himself. If Ryan wasn’t already dating Chad he’d consider hitting on Caleb. “Tell me your dreams Mr. Evans, your passions, and I’ll make them come true.” His words were woven like honey, wrapping around Ryan’s mind like a trap. Ryan’s thoughts quickly became muddled, like all he could focus on what Caleb was saying… like Caleb was the most important thing in the world to him. _

_ “I’m a choreographer, Broadway,” Ryan said, not recognising the sound of his own voice. Caleb’s smile grew wider, _

_ “You don’t say? See that club?” Caleb asked, nodding at the club they were sitting in front of. Ryan nodded, suddenly forgetting the whole reason why he was in LA in the first place. “I own that, and I need a new choreographer. Come work for me Mr. Evans, I’m sure we have a place for your talented mind.” Ryan hesitated, his clouded thoughts becoming clearer. _

_ Chad’s wide smile as he slid into home base. _

_ Finding out he got into Julliard. His and Chad’s first kiss during Senior prom. Ryan blinked, grasping through the fog at the kindness of the Wildcats, Chad’s smile and his strong comforting arms. Sharpay’s support when he first came out as gay to her. “What’s going on?” Ryan asked drowsily, pulling himself out of Caleb’s spell. Caleb frowned slightly, then snapped his fingers and his honey-like voice was back inside Ryan’s mind. _

_ “I’ll tell you what Mr. Evans. Let’s start with a trial run, have you choreo a few of our numbers on Wednesday. Crowd numbers are lowest then, so I like introducing new talent then.” Caleb said, standing up and walking across the street. Ryan stood up and followed after him, pushing through the pedestrians on the street. Caleb held the club’s door open for him, and Ryan could see the logo in the center of it. The letters H G C hanging off the doors. _

_ “Ryan!” A voice called out from the crowd, cutting through Caleb’s spell. Ryan snapped his head in their direction and saw Sharpay wearing one of her signature pink outfits. Caleb grabbed Ryan’s chin and turned his head back to the hotel. _

_ “Greatness Ryan, Broadway fame and fortune for eternity if you step through these doors,” Caleb hissed, suddenly sounding like a villain from one of Chad’s superhero movies. Sharpay pushed through the crowd and appeared at Ryan’s side, pulling him away from Ryan. _

_ “There you are!” Sharpay exclaimed, kissing both of Ryan’s cheeks. Ryan returned the gesture and gave his twin a hug. “What do you want?” She demanded, turning her attention to Caleb. Ryan wanted to shrink behind Sharpay and disappear when he saw how upset Caleb looked. Caleb glanced between the two of them, _

_ “Perhaps another time Mr. Evans. Have a good time in Las Vegas.” Ryan watched as Caleb disappeared into the club, walking through the crowd in the audience. The second the club’s doors swung shut Caleb’s spell was broken and Ryan was able to focus on his sister. _

_ “Who was that?” Sharpay wondered as they walked arm in arm down the strip. Ryan shrugged, not wanting to admit how weak he’d been. _

_ “No idea,” Ryan said, keeping Caleb’s name in mind so he could research the man more when he flew back home to New York. _

Nick had managed to break free of Caleb’s control. He didn’t know how, he didn’t care, but he knew he had to find Julie. The last thing he remembered was Caleb saying the whole reason he went after him was because of Julie. He was in the practice room at school, which meant it was probably after school. God he hoped Caleb didn’t make his parents worry. He hoped Caleb didn’t ruin his relationship with Julie or Luke. He could feel Caleb locked up like Nick was, a headache banging at the back of his head. Nick thought he was alone in the music room, which is why he was surprised to hear a soft guitar melody playing from behind him. Turning around he saw Luke on an acoustic, softly playing a song he’d never heard of before. “Luke?” Nick asked, Luke looked.

“Nick?” He asked, sounding surprised. “What - Is this  _ you _ ?” Nick nodded then crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Luke, soaking in the physical touch. “How are you touching me?” Luke wondered, confused. He still returned the hug, running a hand through Nick’s hair.

“Caleb, Luke It was Caleb. It  _ is _ Caleb, all of it.” Nick said, his body shaking. Luke squeezed his arms around Nick tighter, like he was surprised they could still touch each other. “I know you’re a ghost… half a ghost… whatever. I’m so sorry, for everything,” Nick said, tears staining Luke’s sleeveless shirt.

“Julie knew it wasn’t you. She’s at your house right now, with your family.” Nick sobbed at the mention of his dads. Luke reached up to cup his face, “hey, this isn’t your fault Nick alright? Just know that. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Thanks,” Nick said as Luke held onto him tightly. “If I know my family, they’re working on a way to stop Caleb and get me out of it.” Luke frowned slightly,

“Are they ghost hunters or something?” He asked, and Nick laughed, the sound crystal and clear in the air. He didn’t know how much more freedom Caleb would give him. All Nick wanted to do was stay wrapped in Luke’s arms, the first feeling of warmth he had in a month.

“No, they’re better. My family are Wildcats Luke, there’s no stopping them once they get their minds on something.” Just as Luke was going to hug him again when something in his mind snapped like an elastic band that got stretched too far. He was thrown to the back of his mind, locked up again against a wall, chains holding him in place.

_ “Let me go!” _ Nick roared, fighting harder against Caleb’s hold. The chains tightened around him the more he struggled. The only thing that answered him was Caleb’s cackle, seared into the darkest parts of his soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me on Tumblr: @Random-Nerd-3


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